Solaris and Stadler sign contract with MPK Kraków for 50 new low-floor trams

On Tuesday, 16 January, city operator Miejskie Przedsiębiorstwo Komunikacyjne SA in Cracow signed a framework agreement, in the presence of Cracow’s President Jacek Majchrowski, with the consortium of Solaris Bus & Coach SA and Stadler Polska Sp. z o.o. for the delivery of trams (50 vehicles in total) and an implementation agreement for the first part of the order, i.e. 35 trams.

The low-floor trams will be 33.4 metres long. They will be furnished with air conditioning, CCTV cameras, LED lighting of the interior and a modern passenger information system comprising a voice announcement system and screens displaying the tram route. Each tram will be fitted with a special platform that will ease boarding and alighting for disabled persons on wheelchairs. Ticket vendor machines will also be installed inside, enabling passengers to pay by card or in cash for tickets. USB ports allowing for the recharging of mobile devices will be located in railings for the benefit of mobile phone and smartphone users. The compartment doors will be fitted with a passenger counting system that will facilitate the counting of passengers and identify routes which require, for instance, increasing the frequency of service.

The new trams will have wider doors than earlier versions did, measuring 1.4 m. This solution will enable a faster exchange of passengers on tram stops. The special design of the bogie frames ensures a reduction of the wear of wheels and of the rail tracks, but it will also contribute to limiting vibrations during the ride, which will increase the travel comfort. Thanks to the application of novel solutions travelling on the new trams will be safe. Each compartment will be equipped with so-called energy absorbers which will decidedly minimise the effects of collisions with other vehicles.

The trams will be also more environmental-friendly. A recuperation system will enable the use of energy recovered, inter alia, during braking. An ergonomic and comfortable seat will, in turn, guarantee excellent working conditions for the tram drivers.

It may be worth noting that two of the new trams in this delivery will be the first in Cracow to feature an innovative system allowing the tram to move with a lowered pantograph, without the need to use traction lines, on a distance of 3 km (the remaining trams will have an installation that can be adapted to this system in the future). This very solution has been devised to enable trams to ride whenever there is no possibility of using the traction line (e.g. in the case of an outage of the power grid or the power plant).

The whole order for 35 trams is worth over PLN 314 million, with subsidies under the Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment for 2014-2020 for this investment totalling PLN 125 million.

“The signed agreement for the delivery of 35 trams marks the start of MPK SA’s ninth EU-funded project. The value of all EU projects implemented by the Cracow operator already exceeds PLN 1.6 billion, with EU funding for these projects amounting to nearly PLN 1 billion,” Rafał Świerczyński, CEO of Cracow-based MPK SA, noted after the signing ceremony.

“The collaboration between Solaris and the Cracow operator MPK started back in 1997. That is why I am so glad that the capital of the region of Lesser Poland will get new Polish vehicles. This time, it will be our trams,” commented Solange Olszewska, CEO of Solaris Bus & Coach S.A.

The first new trams should make it to Cracow at the beginning of 2020. In line with the agreement, the deal is to be completed in the third quarter of 2020.

“We are extremely happy that we will carry out this prestigious project together with our Partner. I am certain that our reliable, safe and comfortable trams, custom-designed for the city of Cracow, will serve both the passengers and the operator well,” added Peter Spuhler, owner of Stadler and chairman of the firm’s supervisory board.

The performance of the contract will make it possible to carry on with the decommissioning of high-floor trams. In this way, the number of low-floor trams will increase, and consequently the availability of transportation and the travel comfort in Cracow will improve, especially for the elderly, the disabled and for parents travelling with small children.